Fighting Substance Abuse: Views and Solutions

Nate Strauss (left), a 2003 graduate of Petoskey High School, speaks about his experience with substance abuse at a community forum Tuesday night. The discussion was led by five community members, including John Scholten (middle), superintendent of Petoskey Public Schools and Michael Notorangelo, a psychiatrist.

As a junior in high school, Nick Strauss was living a lie.

The 2003 Petoskey High School graduate was abusing prescription drugs and while he knew he had a problem, he didn’t know where to turn.

Strauss told his story Tuesday night in front of nearly 50 community members, at a forum to develop solutions to a growing substance abuse problem plaguing the community.

“I decided to dabble with oxycontin,” Strauss told the crowd. “But there is no dabbling with a medication such as that. You end up addicted or worse.”

Tuesday’s forum, “Substance Abuse: A Community Response,” held at North Central Michigan College, brought in five members of the community with different viewpoints on substance abuse among young people in the community.

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The panel was made up of Strauss, John Scholten, superintendent of Petoskey Public Schools, Michael Notorangelo, a psychiatrist in Harbor Springs, Julie Bergmann, vice principal at Petoskey High School and Sgt. Brett Gooding of the Michigan State Police post in Petoskey.

Each explained their view of the abuse of drugs, both legal and illegal in the community, and offered ideas on how to find solutions to the issue of substance abuse.

“We are concerned citizens who see a problem and need to do something about it,” said co-host, Peter O’Rourke. “We’re concerned because of the effects substance abuse is having on our youth and in our community.”

Strauss led the discussion with his story.

In middle school, he began drinking and smoking marijuana.

In high school, a family member was prescribed oxycontin, a powerful pain medicine. One day, he saw the pills in a kitchen cupboard and decided to take one. In the weeks and months that followed, his family tried unsuccessfully to hide the medication.

“When you’re addicted, you’ll do anything to find the drug you’re looking for,” Strauss said. “It came to the point where the drugs couldn’t be kept in the house.”“It’s amazing how quickly your body becomes addicted,” he went on to say.

Strauss said coming forward, and admitting he had a problem was difficult. But he encourages those struggling to reach out to friends and family members, even if they are frightened.

“Their reaction may not be what you want to hear, but they are there to help you. You can fight this,” Strauss said.

Scholten, superintendent of Petoskey Public Schools, told the audience that substance abuse is a problem in the schools and it is something the district has had to focus on.

“We all need to work together. We need to build trust with the kids. But it’s not just us in the schools — parents, friends, law enforcement and the entire community needs to pull together to offer support,” he said. “It’s not just one person that can lead this fight.”

Petoskey Public Schools and the Michigan State Police post in Petoskey recently began the pilot program, “Text a Trooper.” Students, teachers and concerned community members can text their tips regarding substance abuse and other concerns to the Michigan State Police anonymously.

The hope is that the program will not only encourage those with concerns to come forward with tips, but will also help open up an ongoing dialogue regarding substance abuse in the community.

“Coming forward and admitting you have an addiction is difficult,” Notorangelo told the audience. “We need to understand and address that idea. It is hard for people to come forward and as a community, we need to all work together to offer support because this is a real problem right here in Northern Michigan.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, www.nmsas.net offers information on resources and support services in several Northern Michigan counties.

The Michigan State Police post in Petoskey has set up a line to allow students and parents in Petoskey Public Schools to send anonymous tips regarding substance abuse, bullying, or other concerns. The hope is that the program will be able to expand to other nearby districts. To Text a Trooper, send a text to (231) 340-1000.